Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 3) by Raymond L. Weil Page B

volunteered Rios. “I’ll run up the slope as fast as I can. The rest of
the hidden popups between here and the summit should try to take me out. Once
they pop up you can destroy them, and that should get you to the summit.”
    “You’ll get
taken out,” warned Ryan.
    “It’ll only
hurt for a few moments,” quipped Rios, trying to sound nonchalant.
    He knew if he were
hit by a stunner it would hurt like hell and there were bound to be a few
surviving stunners between here and the summit. When he took off running, every
embedded weapon left would target him and begin firing. He knew he wouldn’t get
far, but it would be worth it if it meant they could win.
    Ryan was
silent for a few moments as he considered their options. He knew what Private Rios
had suggested was their best chance. It should cause most if not all of the
remaining weapons to reveal themselves. He took a deep breath and then looked
directly at Rios standing a few feet away in his battlesuit.
    “Okay, Rios,”
Ryan finally said. “If you can get all the remaining weapons to fire on you,
there’ll be a steak dinner for you tonight in the mess hall.”
    “Medium-rare,”
Rios answered, grinning. He could already taste the steak; it almost made the
pain he was about to go through worth it.
    “Anytime, Rios,”
spoke Ryan. “Private Parker, save your energy weapon for the summit. Corporal
Hunter and I will take out the remaining popups.”
    “I’m gone!” Rios
shouted as he suddenly stood up to his full height and bounded up the steep
slope. He took a deep breath and braced himself for the pain he knew was
coming.
    He hadn’t gone
more than twenty meters when the first RG rounds slammed into his suit, making
his icon change from green to amber. He managed to stagger forward another ten meters
before a pair of stunners struck him, sending his battlesuit tumbling to the
ground.
    Ryan and Casey
were firing as rapidly as they could, taking out the remaining weapon
emplacements. They couldn’t afford to miss; each round had to count.
    “I’m out,”
Casey called out as her RG rifle failed to fire on the last popup.
    “So am I,”
Ryan yelled as he saw the stunner swiftly turning toward Casey. It suddenly
exploded as Private Parker blew it away with a blue beam from his energy
cannon.
    “We should be
clear to the summit,” commented Private Parker as he walked over to Casey and
handed her his energy weapon. “There’s only one way to find out.”
    “Parker!”
yelled Ryan as Alexander began running up the slope toward the summit.
    Parker zigzagged
but no weapons fired. When he reached the summit, he hunkered down behind a
large boulder and looked back down toward Ryan and Casey. “I think we got all
of them.”
    Casey shook
her head. “We got lucky,” she spoke as she began walking up the slope toward
Parker. His actions and what Rios had done confused her as she still didn’t
fully understand why Humans acted as they did. She still had so much more to
learn.
    Ryan followed
Casey up the slope and soon all three were crouched down behind the large
boulder. Looking around it, Ryan could see the pedestal and the pylon, which
held the tantalizing red button that would deactivate all the weapons on Charring Mountain. If he could just push that damn button then they would never have to
come up this infernal mountain again.
    Casey handed
the energy cannon back to Private Parker. “You’re a better shot with this than
I am,” she explained. Casey took a deep breath and turned to face Ryan.
“Private Rios had the right idea, and I volunteer to do the same thing. Once I
step out onto the summit, the stunners around the pedestal should activate.”
Her eyes focused on Private Parker. “Alexander, don’t miss!”
    “I won’t,”
promised Parker, nodding his head solemnly. “I’ll take the stunners out.”
    “Casey, wait,”
Ryan said, reaching out his metal arm and touching her shoulder. “I should be
the one doing this, you can press the